


Better Days

by Alcanova, Diddle_Riddle



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Families of Choice, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Internalized Homophobia, Light Angst, M/M, Team as Family, Unexpected Bonding, Unexpected Meeting, We just want our babies to be happy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2020-10-24 21:34:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20712893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alcanova/pseuds/Alcanova, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diddle_Riddle/pseuds/Diddle_Riddle
Summary: Usually confrontations with Batman himself had their... satisfying side. He was clever enough to be challenging and worthy of the Riddler's attention.Not something many people could claim.And definitely not something Edward thought he would ever grant to a seven years old boy who happened to be present in the wrong place at the wrong time, caught with his group class in the middle of his newest plan.





	1. A Riddle for a Riddler

**Author's Note:**

> Mr Alcanova & Mrs Diddle_Riddle are proud to present...

Of course not every plan is perfect.

Not every scheme turns out exactly the way they are supposed to. Especially not around here, and not with the Bat and his birds arriving right away, like flies attracted by honey. Always causing _troubles_ and ruining Edward's, otherwise (and he was thoroughly convinced of it) impeccable, neat, organized and deadly heists.  
However, usually confrontations with Batman himself had their... satisfying side. He was clever enough to be challenging and worthy of the Riddler's attention.  
Not something many people could claim.  
And definitely not something Edward thought he would ever grant to a seven years old boy who happened to be present in the wrong place at the wrong time, caught with his group class in the middle of his newest plan.

_____________

The seven year old was calmer than the gaggle of panicked children and adults surrounding him. Heck, he was calmer than he should have been considering his current situation.  
It wasn't a bombing, he reasoned. That was much scarier.  
Besides, he was sure his gift would protect him and it wasn't like this riddle asking idiot posed that much of a threat.

It's easy to notice someone unusual in the crowd of mundane people.  
It's not about what they wear, how they talk or their general aspect. No. What makes them special exists in much subtler details.  
The kind of details ordinary people never get. Or when they do, they consider them "weird", using the term as a tag appropriate for everything that is 'different'.  
Edward heard it more than enough times already, often directed at him or his fellow Rogues.   
Yet... it was something _else_ he detected there.  
Every scheme involving citizens unfolded in the same way: people afraid, too dumb to answer even the most simple of his riddles. They never solved his puzzles, or when by some miracle someone did, they never managed to answer more than one question, two at most.  
They offered nothing _near_ a decent interaction.

"I am your first instrument, the one you hear and control, yet you don't ever touch or see me. What am I?"  
No accurate reaction from the mass of uninteresting people facing him. Until he heard a high pitched voice deliver the simple response to his question:  
"Your voice."

It was ironic, wasn't it?  
For _him_ to be answering riddles.  
He almost scoffed, he shouldn't have said anything at all. But the green clad man looked way too smug about the lack of responses and Tom felt the irrepressible need to wipe that smirk off his face.

The words seemed to echo in the room. As ever during an attack of his, the goons he employed were supposed to maintain enough calm among the civilians for that he could _hear_ propositions if one day one of them managed to keep up.  
Yet there was something highly disturbing in the way this kid gave the answer.  
It sounded nothing like a child's tone. But not like an adult's either. Edward looked down from his elevated spot.  
The crowd around the boy who spoke stopped moving, as if they either held their breath or felt relieved the Riddler's attention focused on someone rather than on everyone.  
"It was an easy one.", Ed jeered, unimpressed. "How about that: I always run but never walk, I sometimes sing but cannot talk, no head on which a hat to place, and you always look me in the face. What am I?"  
His intonation already screamed _challenge_ and he wanted to see if he found someone interesting enough to play with.

"A clock."  
The boy answered easily enough, looking straight at the Riddler from his lower standing place.  
He had to admit, he didn't expect the man to react the way he did, then again, he did call himself the Riddler, and Tom really couldn't expect such an individual to behave normally.  
He tilted his head, interest piqued.  
This man was...weird, yes. But different, Tom could feel it. Was he different, like him?

This time it takes Edward considerable amounts of self control to force himself not to look already invested. He always reacted like that: when someone or something appeared appealing to him, he had the tendency to immediately behave as if he found a perfect distraction or the best hobby around.  
And he always ended up disappointed. Often sooner than later.

"Born to explore, made to discover, always ready to step into new areas, I am your greatest motivation just like I can lead to your doom. What am I?", he relaunched therefore, his green eyes locked in the child's gaze; whom gave him the impression he now studied him as if he used x-ray vision.  
What an odd kid.

"Curiosity."  
Once again the answer was delivered correctly. He never wavered. He sounded sure, not a a single doubt echoed in his voice.  
This time though, it was not another riddle that followed his answer.  
"If I answer your next riddle correctly, will you let us go? We need to finish our trip and the Matron will be very angry if we show up late to the meeting point."  
It didn't sound like he particularly cared.  
A hissed "_Tom_" came from an older woman, standing just a few steps behind him, it was clear that she thought he was trying to get them killed.  
The child barely turned around, a bored look on his face as he gazed at her, before turning his head back to the Riddle man.

Edward frowned as he followed the short interaction between the boy and this woman. He didn't point it out nevertheless, simply stored the information.  
"... Do you believe you can give me orders in the middle of _my_ game?", he asked slowly, eying the child intensely.  
But in spite of what he let out, he was not angry or irritated.  
Oh, no. Definitely not.  
He was _interested_, and the curiosity sparkled in his mind.  
"Who do you think you are?", he inquired, advancing a bit on his spot.  
From the corner of his eye, Ed noticed how most persons in the crowd mistakened his question as if his next step will be to attack and kill the boy.  
They never understood anything.  
"Tell me.", he said almost softly. "Who are you?"

"Tom. Tom Riddle."  
A faint, barely there smirk slowly curved his lips.  
"I believe I've answered your question, sir."

Edward rarely felt his mind go blank. He was always overthinking, and it was very hard, near to the _impossible_ even, to _surprise_ him.  
Yet he stayed stumped at first under the unexpected answer.  
"As it seems.", he conceded then, while an unknown warmth bloomed in his chest. "Well then, Tom Riddle. It's a pleasure meeting you."  
He wanted to ask another question. He needed to... discover more, about this stranger who wore his name and seemed so utterly clever.  
Eddie felt the urge raising, to go beneath the surface. So much to explore there. So much... potential, he could see it already.

He looked into the stranger's eyes and for a moment, just a moment, he sensed his thoughts. His expression changed into a brief look of surprise. The man...he didn't think of him as a freak. He _saw_ his brilliance, his genius.  
That moment, was soon broken as the Bat crashed through the window. The whole scene almost played out in slow motion, his gaze breaking from the man's, Batman attacking the Riddler, gunshots, people screaming, running away in fear as soon as an exit was presented to them.  
Tom had to quickly catch up to his group, knowing he'd be left behind if given the occasion.  
Casting one last glance to the criminal, now engaged in a fight with the Dark Knight, Tom made his exit, wondering if he'd ever see the man again. 


	2. The Great Riddle

Jonathan was annoyed.  
Edward couldn't say he hadn't noticed, moreover he couldn't pretend not to be aware of how irritatingly he had been behaving lately. Arkham didn't exactly have a reputation of helping with the inmates' patience. That was even less the case when he grumbled about his own questionings and theories for days while Jon was forced to listen to him. The sole reason being that they shared a cell, not because the former teacher especially wanted to deal with the Riddler in such a mood.  
Luckily it didn't last very long, as Edward stayed in Arkham for under two weeks this time.  
But he did acknowledge to himself how _annoyingly _he acted.  
Like right now.  
"Jon?", Ed called out one night, lying on his bunk.  
"Are you awake?"  
A groan answered his question.

"Edward..." His voice sounded groggy, a hint of confusion still lacing his tone.  
He propped himself up to look at Edward, brows furrowed as a grimace made its way onto his face.  
"...what do you want?"

Eddie hesitated a short moment, like he did on many similar occasions happening over the previous nights.  
"... Forget about it." He ended up responding once more, before moving his gaze back to the partially cracked ceiling.  
He couldn't tell him. Jonathan wouldn't... understand. He just couldn't.... Could he?  
Right now though, his dear boyfriend looked way too cranky, as he had just been woken up. He probably wouldn't accept his sleep being disturbed _for nothing_.

"Edward. You woke me up, you clearly had a reason for it. Please do not waste our time like this."  
He sat up, running a hand through his hair as he looked at the ginger haired man laying on the bunk in front of him.  
"So?"

Ed bit his lip, as always whenever he was nervous or uncomfortable with a situation.  
He sat on his bed as well, and looked at the other end of the small cell in the mild shadows surrounding the block's corridor at this late hour.  
He was not certain he should talk about this openly. Yet... somehow, he _had_ to. He _must_ voice his doubts out loud.  
"I... don't know what to do.", he confessed accordingly, in a faint tone. "I feel a bit lost, and that's far from being my comfort zone. I am faced with a riddle I have no idea how to solve because it belongs to a field I have no experience in."

The ex doctor was left momentarily in a state of surprise. Edward? Struggling with a riddle? Now, this was interesting. At least this was somewhat worth being woken in the middle of the night for.  
"What troubles you, Edward? What riddle escapes your intellect?"

"Nothing _escapes_ me!", he hissed immediately, while he... just acknowledged the opposite.  
But showing a moment of weakness didn't mean he will allow someone, not even his Jon, to insinuate his brilliant mind failed to grasp a problem.

"Of course, you're just trying to pin it down. Nothing can truly outrun your mind. Tell me what bothers you, I can help you."  
He kept his tone placating, soothing.  
He got up, slowly making his way towards Edward, keeping his body language as non-threatening as he could. There was no need to get Edward worked up, especially because he planned on going back to sleep after he was done with his significant other's problem. He needed the sleep to not murder every idiot around him by the next morning.

Eddie relaxed when his partner sat next to him.  
Jonathan improvised himself psychiatrist with him on a regular basis, but it held no negative innuendo, contrary to how he saw every staff member in this charming establishment. No, with Jon it was just... nice. Based on mutual understanding.  
"The little boy from my scheme.", he revealed quietly, the reassuring presence of his lover close to him having a strong calming effect. "You know, the one who... answered my riddles."  
Although Ed didn't explain in detail what had happened, Jonathan already heard the tale of how this heist went, right after the Riddler got been sent back to Arkham. But he wouldn't have bet this could occupy so much space in Edward's reflections.  
"I've been sort of... thinking about him more seriously."

"Because he answered your riddles?" Jonathan furrowed his brows. It was rare for Edward to take interest in people, especially since he considered everyone so drastically inferior to him. There had to be more.

"... Not exactly.", the younger man confirmed his suspicions. "It's not the first time someone offers proper responses to my puzzles after all. It's not about the fact he answered, but more in the _way_ he answered. There is... something about him. I can't put my finger on what it is. And I don't like not being able to name or to fully understand things."

"What could have been so interesting about a six/eight years old? I can understand the want to tutor...to guide. But a child that small? What can possibly be interesting about him? Even the Bat's little birds are older than that."

"If I found a solid scientific analysis to theorize this... unusal interest, I wouldn't be questioning myself like that.", Eddie scoffed, proving again that he never kept his usual bratty behaviors at bay for long.

"I have the feeling that this will not be the last time I hear about this..." Jonathan murmured to himself, almost mournfully, recognising the beginnings of one of Edward's obsessions.

__________

"We have a new objective from now on!"  
Edward energetically threw a file on the desk Jonathan was trying to work at, now in the comfort of their shared hideout.  
The two of them had been staying in this relatively cozy apartment for over a full week since they escaped from their last visit at Arkham.  
"Look what I built!"  
All proud of himself, Eddie pointed to the title of said file, indicating in bold letters 'Tom Marvolo Riddle'.  
"I collected everything!", he went on, slightly hysterical; under Jonathan's stoic and more than skeptical gaze. "Isn't that exciting?!"

"You..." he took off his glasses before pinching the bridge of his nose.  
"You're really determined to see this through, aren't you?"  
He looked up at his partner.

Ed's decided smug grin answered by the affirmative before he validated:  
"Oh, I am.", he smirked. "And you know what's even _better_ in this affair, my dear?"

"No Edward, I don't know. Why don't you enlighten me?"

As almost every time when he was in his 'proud demonstration mood', the sarcasm flew right over the ginger's head. Whom instead responded as if he made a powerful declaration:  
"You are just as involved in this as I am! So Jonathan, you can prepare your luggage. We have a trip to England waiting to get planned out and someone to meet in the outer Atlantic!"

"What."  
Was the deadpanned, but also quite incredulous response the Riddler got from his partner.

"You heard me!", he insisted, more and more frantic.  
Once again, when he obsessed over something he went _hysterical_.  
"I should probably have warned you, but at the same time who cares?! Consider it's our first trip together out of Gotham with a great shared goal! It can even be our honeymoon if you want!"

He was, at the beginning of Edward's rant, getting increasingly irritated. But as the other man mentioned the... honeymoon, he couldn't help the light blush that coloured his face.  
He grabbed the younger male by the collar of his shirt, and pulled him towards himself for a deep, possessive kiss, silencing Edward and any protest that could have come for _"ruining his expensive clothes"._  
Breaking from the kiss Jonathan looked down at the now blushing, wide-eyed Edward.  
"You're lucky you're cute."

"... so is this a 'yes', doctor Crane?", the Riddler purred, delighted as ever, each time Jonathan acted like an actual romantic partner.

"You best make it good, _dear_" was his response, voice deepening into a low rumble as he pulled Edward closer by his waist, moving his other hand onto the back of his neck before tangling his long, bony fingers at the base of Ed's ginger strands.

"Then how about... I let you forsee just a glimpse of precisely how _good_ I'll make it to you?", Eddie replied mischievously, his wicked smirk back on (Jonathan's favorite), before he dragged his lover to the bedroom in a rather unsubtle yet expert manner.

__________

"See? Everything is going just fine! I told you you worried for nothing, our covers are perfect! No one will catch us during the travel."  
Eddie couldn't erase the thrill he felt in regards to the purpose they were about to achieve. But right now, what pleased him also _very much_ was the prospect of doing a trip with Jon.  
Thus he decided to tease the older man a bit:  
"Aren't you glad you are here with me?"

"Always." He stated flatly, directing his gaze to the smaller, excited man.  
"So, you're 100% sure you want this kid?" He asked for what felt like the millionth time.  
He wanted to make sure.  
He really didn't want Edward to get bored and dump his stray on him after he was done playing.

"I am!", he claimed instantly, grinning widely. "He is the most interesting toy I've crossed paths with in a _long while_!"  
Just after the words left his mouth, Ed realized the term he used there may not seem to be the most... appropriate, so he corrected:  
"Hu. When I said 'toy' I meant... _individual_. Or... creature?"  
Given Jonathan's stare in response, he must have made a mistake.  
_Again_.

"I don't care whether you see it as a toy or something else. Just don't dump it on me if you get bored of it."

Edward crossed his arms on his chest, more for the theatrical aspect of the gesture than out of real necessity.  
"Not gonna happen."  
And in his tone just like in his mind, this sounded like a promise.

"We'll see about that." Was the equally sure response.  
"Do you have everything ready?"

"I have myself and I am up to no good.", he grinned. "Therefore you are right to underline it my dear, your 'everything' is ready."

"That is not reassuring, in the least."


	3. We Meet Again

"... Wait a minute, I will make an announcement.", the Matron concluded, eying the weird pair with a barely hidden look of disgust. They were by far the most abnormal couple she had ever come across in her rather _long_ career.

Adoption procedures revealed themselves to turn out quite complicated sometimes. Tom Riddle's case belonged not only to the 'complicated' type but also to the... delicate and awkward ones. The child was just too odd. The _way_ he looked at people had been more than enough to give goosebump to adults visiting the orphanage.  
So having two complete strangers coming out of the blue, saying that they looked at the children's files and that they were interested in Riddle's profile, was not an expected news.  
"At this hour he is in class." She added, before asking for someone to fetch her Tom. After one of her employees left to find the child she continued with a strict tone: "He won't be long to arrive." 

"Did you call for me?"  
Came the soft but sure voice of Tom Riddle as he stepped into the room.  
His gaze moved from the Matron to the individuals that were with her in the room. Apparently they wanted to adopt him.  
It was rare for him to be surprised, but this time he sure as Hell was. Not only one of the two people was eerily familiar, but... it was a couple... a _gay_ couple? Or so he assumed? Why would two people not in a relationship adopt someone together?  
Of course the Matron would get him adopted by queers. To her, he was as freaky as they were.

"Come and take a seat.", she invited him, forcing herself not to sound too strict but patient instead.  
As ever when potential adopting parents were around, she acted a lot more friendly with the children than she did normally.  
"We have a lot to discuss with... those _people_." She said, trying to hold back a reproving glance towards the two men.  
Now was not the time to listen to her convictions however, this was her chance to get rid of that horrid child once and for all.  
She won't miss such an occasion and most certainly she won't waste it by behaving inappropriately right now.

Tom followed the instructions, keeping his expression in a mask of polited interest, a slight smile on his lips.  
The perfect picture of the perfect child.  
He nodded politely at the two men as he sat down, before turning to face the younger looking of the two, trying to pinpoint what felt so familiar about the man.

Jonathan had been crystal clear when they talked about the second meeting: "No Edward", he insisted, categorical. "You _won't_ 'ask the child a riddle' when you see him again."  
Although Ed protested at first, plus argued that Jon "must absolutely see how the boy responds!", he ended up agreeing with the fact it risked to cost them their cover. The rest of the process they initiated might not be fulfilled if he failed to refrain his _urge_ to ask riddles.  
Therefore he must wait for when they'll be in private.  
"Tom Riddle.", the Matron introduced him formally then. "As you know..."  
"Please don't give us a speech about his life story.", Edward cut.  
This woman was _boring_. He wanted to speak to Tom, not waste more time with her!  
"Everything we need to know is written in the files you keep on everyone.", he pursued, a neat mockery audible in his tone. "And for the rest... I believe this young man is able to express himself on his own."

The boy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. They had researched him. Why would they research him? Were they planning on killing him... or worse...  
His eyes met the gaze of the man currently speaking and as he heard him speak he finally realised why this man seemed so familiar! This was the Riddle man! From Gotham!  
He decided not to say anything for the moment, but his mind was already four steps ahead, elaborating, processing and planning as the adults kept talking.  
"I normally don't get asked for my opinion." He decided to play on the innocent, mistreated child. If only to at least embarrass the Matron. Besides it would turn out to be useful to have them underestimate him.

"That's such a _shame_!", Edward emphasized in reaction.  
He always jumped on every occasion to overdramatize a situation.  
"So what is it, hu?", he went on with his outraged intonation. "Children are forbidden from sharing their point here? They are not considered 'good enough' to have their word to say?"  
While Edward went on with his (quite puerile) grievances, Jonathan studied the boy's polite mask of a face. No emotion could be read on his features. Nothing, not even to the psychiatrist's expert eyes. It was impossible to decipher what the kid thought of what happened around him at this moment.  
"Of course not.", the Matron interrupted at some point, bringing Jonathan back onto the present context. "But Tom has a... very shy nature. He doesn't talk easily to other children, and even less to adults. We try to make him participate and we encourage him to express himself the best we can, nonetheless it's difficult for him to adapt and to share with others. You must be patient with him. He requires a special care."

"I'm not shy." The boy interrupted, a confused expression painted onto his pretty features.  
"No one talks to me."  
He turned towards the two men, bringing his hand up to the side of his mouth in a show of sharing a secret.  
"They say that I'm a freak."  
He staged whispered the phrase, eyes wide and unassuming and brows furrowed sadly.

"And do you believe them?"  
Jonathan usually controlled himself. He hated speaking for no reason, and contrary to his boyfriend he was not one to waste words by constantly commenting on every topic or harassing everyone for further details about everything.  
Yet right now, the words slipped.  
The question left his mouth with no warnings, it formed in open air without him being aware he planned to ask it.  
Living with Edward definitely had a serious impact on his every day behaviors...

"Well..."  
The boy hesitated, he knew he was superior, that he was special, but.... everyone kept saying he was a freak and it hurt, it really did. It made him boil with rage on the inside. Why were they all against him?? It was because of his gift wasn't it? They were jealous!  
He bit down on the poison threatening to spill from his lips and instead replied to the man currently addressing him:  
"It's hard not to, sir."

Jonathan didn't miss what looked like an inner fight the boy just had with himself. Did Edward notice? Did anyone? The child... Tom, he should mentally refer to him as Tom instead of keep calling him 'child'.  
Thus _Tom_ seemed... impressively skilled at this act. At hiding how confused, how _angry_ he felt inside. None of his emotions transpired on his smooth features, only the way his eyes shined too vividly could be associated with internal struggles.  
And as both a psychiatrist and a teacher, those were signs Jon knew how to identify, especially on young subjects. Not to add said signs were... pretty similar to his own techniques when he faced emotional burdens.  
"It is.", he conceded calmly. "And agreeing with them may even seem to be the... easy way, of grasping the problem. But you are not one to get satisfied with a common, basic solution now are you?"  
His gaze started to analyse more closely. The doctor in him wanted, _needed_ to dissect mentally this new interesting test subject.  
Only...  
"... I will show you to his room to get his personal belongings.", the Matron barged in, visibly highly uncomfortable with the short exchange and searching for a way out of the current interaction.

___________

"So. Did answering your riddles make me that interesting?" The boy asked as soon as they were away from prying ears.

"Don't flatter yourself.", Edward responded in his best collected voice. "The only thing you did has been to vaguely make me realize I should-"  
"He couldn't sleep at night anymore, couldn't think of anything else than your meeting during his scheme and entered in a perpetual existential crisis over you.", Jonathan scoffed, unwilling to let Ed pretend he was not _very_ _invested_ into meeting this boy. "So don't listen to this petulant man-child.", he added more fondly, while he eyed Tom with his 'teacher expression', that is to say the patient look he conveyed more than once when dealing with his rogues friends. "You see, Eddie dearest has issues about admitting he can be interested in someone other than himself."

"I see." The child mumbled. "I know who you are, and what you do.", he said, looking at Edward. "So I can imagine why you do not see me as a freak. But what about you?" He asked, moving his cold, suspicious eyes to Jonathan. "Are you his...partner? Or was that fake? Are you his doctor? You act like a doctor. They took me to the doctors before, to see what was wrong with me."  
The stream of words continued as his gaze stayed fixed onto the tall scarecrow-like man. He couldn't help being suspicious, especially of adults and _especially_ if they were showing kindness towards him.

Jonathan nodded politely.  
"I am a doctor.", he confirmed.  
He won't ask for more informations over why the boy has been 'taken to the doctors before'. He will, but later. No need to make Tom talk further about painful or uncomfortable memories right now.  
"A licensed psychiatrist, to be more specific.", he clarified. "Although I don't... practice currently, given the way things turned for me. I indeed kept the habits and the capabilities nonetheless, to act as such when required. But no. I am not Edward's doctor."  
"He only likes to be called that in bed."  
Jonathan's still attitude cracked, and he had to severely repress the urge to give Eddie a light slap on the back of his head like one would do with a spoiled brat. He thought he spoke clearly enough just before they arrived at the orphanage when he insisted on how they should avoid to freak this kid out. At least at the beginning. And he was making efforts, acting here his patient, reassuring self.  
So _why_ did Edward always need to ruin everything...

Tom's brow furrowed, as he looked between the two.  
"So... you are... queers?"  
His voice sounded hesitant, as if he was unsure on how to approach the subject, a slight frown twisting his lips.

"Come on!", Ed exclaimed with a fakely shocked expression. "No straight man could attain such level of classy, stylish perfection."  
Jonathan sighed loudly.  
"That was Edward saying he is gay in a very... indelicate and cliché manner.", he translated while granting his lover a reproving glance. "I am not.", he took back. "I am of another orientation. But 'queer' is an appropriate term, you can use it freely to refer to us. And yes, we are a couple."

Tom pondered on whether or not he should comment on that. He was educated on the fact that queers were wrong and destined to Hell, but then, so was he considered to be. He didn't think he was, so maybe, neither were they. He would give them the benefit of the doubt.  
"Are you...weird?" He asked then, not knowing how exactly to ask the two if they were like him, because no one else before had seen him as something other than a freak.  
But given how they talked to him showing _interest... _ maybe it meant they were like him. He needed to know.  
"Are you like me?"

The adults shared a look.  
"Weird is how everyone calls us.", Edward revealed, ditching his showman act to return to something more tranquil. "Among other charming nicknames."  
"As for 'like you'.", Jonathan supplemented. "I can't ensure that for now, I don't know you enough. But even if we are not like what you might expect, what I can at least guarantee is that we are well placed to _understand_."

Tom looked at the two intently before walking over his desk and outstretching his hand, letting it hover on top of a pencil that was laying on the wooden surface.  
His eyes narrowed and after a moment the pencil started twitching before it lifted from the desk, levitating a few inches.  
He looked at the two again asking the silent question 'can you do the same?'.

A short moment Edward looked like he was about to say something (something _clever_ if anyone asked him), given how he extended an index finger and seemed focused on the trick he just witnessed.  
But it was Jonathan who reacted first, after nearly a full minute of bewildered silence.  
"You're magic.", he pointed out the obvious. "How... interesting."  
His voice held no judgement and even less the slightest fear.  
He was simply... surprised.

"I suppose you're not, then." He replied, a slight hint of disappointment in his tone.

"We are not.", Jon echoed his words in an intentionally soothing tone of voice. "But we know some. And although we are not especially familiar with this world, it's a reality we included in our life since a long time."  
Then he knelt on the old wooden floor, and looked at the young boy to pursue seriously:  
"I created a toxin I use to make people hallucinate their greatest fears. A very dear friend of mine controls plants and speaks their language. Another is an inventor who works on mind control. So no, Edward and I are not magic, and neither are our closest relations. But we are more than open-minded enough to know about this world."

His eyes widened as the doctor went on. Maybe there weren't people _exactly_ like him. But... He wasn't alone, there were incredible, fascinating, _special_ people waiting for him out there.  
He felt resentment bubble inside of him as he thought of the years he spent trapped inside this place away from such people.  
He looked up at the man crouching in front of him, his fists clenched and a determined fire burning in his eyes.  
He wanted to speak, say what he wanted to, this man had admitted to creating a toxin capable of making someone experience their greatest fears and he knew the riddle man had no qualms about holding people hostage for his own entertainment. Despite that he still couldn't bring himself to admit... to admit that he wanted revenge, that he wanted for the people who mistreated him and called him a freak to _pay_.  
He didn't know how to finally confess those thoughts and feelings to someone who wasn't a snake.  
Schooling as well as he could his expression into a composed mask, Tom opened his mouth and tried to speak in a composed, even tone.  
"Are you... going to adopt me? If so could I... do as I please, with my last moments here?"

Following a patient's train of thoughts was one of Jonathan's favorite activities, and seeing the _life_ in this child's eyes, plus how he fought to keep his urges collected, had a truly fascinating side.  
He wanted to tell him so, but was cut off by Ed's sarcastic remark of:  
"No of course we won't adopt you now, we made this travel for nothing and we are just going to let you rot in here for longer."  
Jonathan closed his eyes for a second, trying to force himself to hold back a mean comment that would certainly be inappropriate when in company of a child.  
"Don't mind him.", he explained again while offering Tom a mild apologetic smile. "Despite every friends of ours and I repeating over and over for _years_ that his inputs are anything but useful, he still believes he has a good sense of humour."  
Then Jon stood up.  
"The Matron asked for you to collect your things. Apparently every orphan has their own luggage in their room, waiting to be packed if they are adopted. She told us you don't possess much, and you don't have to worry about it. Take what you need, and if you want help to pack, feel free to ask. Otherwise we can let you pack alone and wait for you to finish."  
"Take your time.", Edward added with more delicacy. "We both know what it's like to leave a place you hate behind. We know it may request a... special good bye."

Tom nodded silently and went to his closet where all his stolen treasures resided.  
His luggage wasn't ready, as he never expected to be adopted, but he didn't have a lot of stuff to begin with, so that wasn't a problem.  
Packing the few clothes he had and the various stolen items, which at this point, he knew the two men wouldn't judge him for, he finally closed the closet, leaving his luggage on the floor.  
His expression was calm, serene almost, as he looked at the couple.  
"Would you, by any chance have some of that... fear poison with you? If not I can try to call it to me, if I know what I'm looking for."

Both men grinned with a sincere sense of pride upon hearing this question.  
"I told you, he is the cutest.", Eddie bragged and Jon smiled more openly.  
"I always bring some with me.", the former teacher approved. "Old habits die hard. Moreover, passing whatever you want in a plane luggage bay is easier than you might think."  
And Jonathan took hold of a little tube filled with yellow liquid he kept hidden in the inside of his coat.  
"Be my guest to take a look."

Ignoring the comment on his apparent cuteness, Tom took the container into his hands to examine it, wonder dancing in his eyes.  
Looking back to the maker of such awe inspiring invention, a slight smirk made its way onto his lips as he asked:  
"How does it work?"


End file.
